gradually increasing this to 6 or 7 noodles if the birds will stand it,
the number of noodles fed depending upon the size and condition of each
bird, the feeder being obliged to use his judgment in this matter. In
general if any feed can be felt in the craw, no noodles are given until
the next feeding time. Failure to observe this is likely to cause the
bird to go off feed. If any geese are noticed which are off feed they
should be taken out and marketed.
The noodles are made of scalded corn meal, ground oats, ground barley
and ground wheat or wheat flour, using equal parts of each. This
material is thoroughly mixed and salted as one would bread and is then
put through a sausage stuffer. The product as it comes from the stuffer
is cut into noodles about 2-1/2 or 3 inches long and these are boiled for
10 or 15 minutes or until they float. A wash boiler with a wire rack
forming a false bottom about 1-1/2 inches above the boiler bottom is used
for this purpose. When cooked the noodles are dipped in cold water and
then rolled in flour to keep them from sticking together. A supply of
noodles is made which will last for 2 or 3 days' feeding.
Just before feeding, hot water is poured over the noodles to make them
warm and slippery. The mouth of the goose is forced open and the noodles
are put in, one at a time, and worked down by using the fingers on the
outside of the neck. As each goose is fed it is placed on the other side
of the partition until all in the pen have been fed. It is important
that plenty of drinking water be kept before the geese.
The feeding period where geese are noodled usually extends from 3 to 4
weeks. Gains of 6 to 10 pounds per bird can be secured and often an
increased price of 10 to 15 cents a pound can be secured for such
specially fattened geese. Noodled geese will average about 25 pounds and
some individuals have been made to weigh nearly 40 pounds. One man can
noodle from 50 to 100 geese but has to put in long hours. Noodled geese
should be dressed where fattened as they are soft fleshed and would
shrink badly if shipped alive.
Fattening methods similar to the noodling described are used in parts
of Europe for the production of the enlarged goose livers which are
employed in making "patte de fois gras".
Methods Used on Fattening Farms
As previously mentioned, a few farmers make a specialty of buying the
geese in their section of the country in the fall when it is too late
for serious trouble to develop from hemorrhagic septicemia, a disease
similar to fowl cholera, and to fatten or finish them in large flocks
for the Thanksgiving and Christmas markets. Methods are employed in
different sections which differ quite widely.
On a farm in the Middle West the geese are collected from the general
farms where they are produced in small flocks and brought to the farm
where they are kept in flocks as large as 1,000 or even more, and are
allowed to run in a cornfield or orchard. They are fattened for about a
month. Corn on the cob and plenty of water is kept before the geese all
the time and if they are running in a cornfield they eat the leaves off
the corn stalks for roughage. Roughage is supplied if not available
otherwise and straw, hay or vegetables are utilized for this purpose.
No shelter is provided during mild weather, the geese getting such
protection as they can from the trees or corn stalks. If the weather
turns unusually severe, the geese are generally driven into sheds or
barns. When fattened the geese are usually shipped to some large market
alive. Several farms in the neighborhood of Boston make a specialty of
finishing geese each fall, and the methods used are quite different from
those described above. No geese are raised on these farms, the operation
being confined to the fattening or finishing of the geese and to killing
and dressing them for the market. Some of these goose fatteners also
have stalls or stands in the Boston markets where they are enabled to
dispose of their fattened geese to the best advantage.
[Illustration: FIG. 55. Large flock of geese fattening in an orchard.
(_Photograph from the Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. Department of
Agriculture._)]
_Fatteners._ In previous years these fatteners depended largely upon the
geese produced on the Rhode Island farms for their supply. In the past
few years, however, the supply from this source has dwindled greatly and
the bulk of the geese for fattening are now shipped from Prince Edward
Island, Canada, in carload lots. Such summer geese as are now fattened
still come from Rhode Island and are brought in by truck. The fattening
season begins in September and lasts until Christmas. Some early
goslings are bought in June but there is not as good a profit from the
summer geese, the demand and prices being adversely affected by the
supply of spring ducklings available at that time.
Experience and good judgment will benefit the goose fattener greatly
when purchasing his supply of geese for fattening. What he wants are
goslings, not older geese, which have made a good growth and which have
a large frame but which are in poor flesh rather than fat. Such geese
will make more rapid and more profitable gains. When geese are bought
for shipment by the carload from Prince Edward Island, they should be
penned and fed at the point of shipment for 3 or 4 days before they are
loaded in the cars, so as to put them in shape to stand the journey
well. On the farms from which they come, the goslings are not fed much
and in consequence are not in shape to stand shipment.
_The Goslings_ which are secured from the farms for fattening are mainly
common geese of no particular breed. Some pure bred geese are also
obtained as are some first crosses between the pure breeds. A class of
geese which is obtained in some numbers from Prince Edward Island and
which is much desired is the so-called "Mongrel" goose. These are
obtained by breeding a Wild or Canadian gander to geese of dark plumage
similar to the Toulouse or African. The mongrel geese much resemble the
wild gander in type and color and are in demand on the market because of
their wild or gamy flavor. They bring about 10 cents per pound more than
common geese. The market, however, is somewhat limited. These geese will
not breed although the females will lay eggs. Where the wild gander is
mated with light colored or white geese the offspring will have more or
less light colored feathers and will not as closely resemble the wild
parent and for this reason are not as desirable.
_Shipping._ The geese are loaded into stock cars into which three
separate decks are built to accommodate them. From 1200 to 1400 geese
can be loaded into a car thus arranged. The journey usually takes about
5 or 6 days and some fatteners send a man along with the car to feed and
water the geese 2 or 3 times during the trip. If a man does not
accompany the car, buckets of corn should be placed in the car for feed
and some potatoes should also be supplied as these will serve in place
of drinking water. If the car is not subjected to unusual delay, the
geese should come through in good shape, but if much delayed there may
be 25 to 100 geese dead when the car arrives at its destination.
When the car arrives at the end of its journey, the geese are unloaded
and driven to the farm where they are turned into the fields together in
a large flock. The fields in which they are thus kept should have a
supply of growing green feed or grass and a good supply of fresh
drinking water. They are kept here until they are wanted for the
fattening pens which may be from a week to 20 days after their arrival
at the farm. While in this large supply flock they are fed on corn and
grass which they can get for themselves.
_Summer Geese_ to be fattened are placed only about 50 in a pen or
enclosure; and are provided with a few boards set on posts to protect
them from the hot sun. The later geese are fattened in lots of 3 or 4
hundred or even more, depending upon how many pickers are available to
be kept busy. It is for this reason also that the geese are not all put
on the fattening ration at the same time, but are started at intervals
so as to have a continuous supply coming along to keep the pickers busy.
The geese not put in the fattening lots at the start are left in the
fields to grow and develop until they are needed.
The enclosures in which the geese are penned for fattening are small
lots or fields enclosed by stone walls or board fences 2-1/2 to 3 feet
high. These lots should be dry and well-drained, a location on a side
hill being good for this purpose. The fattening lots must be kept clean
and stagnant water must not be allowed to stand in the lots as this is
likely to cause sickness, especially diarrhoea. These yards should be
plowed up each spring and planted to oats, corn or some other growing
crop to sweeten them. No houses or shelters are provided for these geese
but some yards are somewhat wooded which affords a measure of protection
from the wind.
_Feeding._ When the geese are placed in the fattening lots, some
fatteners prefer to fast the geese for from 3 to 5 days, giving them no
feed but plenty of water to drink. This gives them a good appetite and
puts them in good shape for fattening.
The geese are fed three times a day, in the morning, at noon and at
night. The morning and night feed usually consists of a moist mixed feed
fed in troughs; while the noon feed is whole corn thrown on the ground.
The use of one feed of corn a day is supposed to check any tendency
toward diarrhoea. In very cold weather some fatteners feed the mixed
feed at noon and the corn at night. At first the geese are not given all
they will eat but are worked up gradually, increasing the amount each
day until they are getting all they want. As a rule the geese will drop
back a little in feed consumption after they reach the point where they
get all they want and from this time on, the feeding must be very
carefully watched to see that they are not given so much that they will
leave some to sour which would cause diarrhoea. The morning and noon
feeds are lighter, the heaviest feed being given at night. The bird's
appetites will vary from day to day so that it is best to make the
rounds twice in feeding to make sure that they have enough and that none
is left. If any is left it must be gathered up and carried away.
No provision is made for furnishing the fattening geese with green feed
or roughage. The practice with respect to drinking water varies. Some
fatteners keep a supply before the birds in troughs which must be washed
out each day to keep them clean. Others furnish no water except that
used in mixing up the feed.
_Corn Meal_ is the principal ingredient of the fattening mixture. To a
sack of corn meal is added 10% beef scrap and five good shovels of grit
or medium sized gravel. In addition some fatteners add 10% of flour to
bind the mixture together. This material should be thoroughly mixed up
in a dry state as a better mix can be obtained in this way. It is then
mixed up with water, the practice here varying. Some fatteners mix in a
trough with boiling water a short time before feeding, while others mix
it with cold water letting it soak over night and adding more water in
the morning if it is too dry at that time. It should be mixed until it
can be shoveled readily but should be quite solid, never in a sloppy
condition as this is likely to cause diarrhoea. A little salt may be
added, if desired, as an appetizer. While corn meal is generally used,
hominy may take its place. After the geese are started on the fattening
ration, this must be given throughout the fattening period. Changing to
some other feed will throw the geese off feed and cause a loss.
_Feeding._ When the mixed feed is ready it is shoveled into boxes or
barrels on a low wagon and driven to the fattening lots where it is
shoveled into the troughs for the geese. Ordinary V-shaped troughs are
favored instead of flat troughs as the latter afford hiding places for
rats which may cause damage in addition to the feed which they eat by
frightening the geese.
Geese are easily frightened and must therefore be handled rather
carefully and gently as a severe fright will interfere with the gains
they will make. Some fatteners provide electric lights where the geese
rest at night so that they can see and will not be so likely to become
frightened.
When the geese are ready to be killed they are driven up to the killing
house and into a pen where they may be easily caught. Each goose as
caught is examined to see whether it is in condition for killing. If it
is not it is put back with a later lot for additional fattening. Good
condition in a goose is judged by its weight when handled and also by
the condition of its breast and the fat on its back. A good place to
test geese for fat is on the side of the body just below the point where
the wing joins the body. If fat can be seized between the thumb and
finger at that point, the goose is in good condition.
_Dry Picking._ All fattened geese for the Boston market are dry picked.
The goose is held between the knees of the picker with the wings held
fast against the sides of the body. The head is grasped by the left
hand, the mouth forced open and the veins in the back of the throat just
beyond the skull severed with a sharp knife for the purpose of bleeding
the bird. If the bird is to be stuck, which is not always done, the
point of the knife is then plunged through the roof of the mouth to the
brain. The legs are then seized in the left hand, together with the ends
of the wings to prevent the goose from struggling and the goose is
struck once or twice sharply on the back of the head with a club held in
the right hand. This is for the purpose of stunning the bird. The geese
may also be bled by sticking the knife through the neck from the outside
just below the head.
The picker then takes his seat beside the feather box, holding the goose
on his lap with the head held between his knee and the outside of the
box. He proceeds to pluck the feathers as rapidly as possible, removing
all the feathers except the main wing feathers or those of the first
joint of the wing and the feathers of the neck half way from the head to
the body. All the soft body feathers are thrown in the box and saved.
The coarser feathers are thrown on the floor. The down is removed by
rubbing the moistened hand over the skin. To save the hands, ordinary
rubber heels dipped in water are often used. Sharp knives are also used
to shave off the pin feathers which cannot be plucked and any down not
removed by rubbing.
The dry picked goose presents a much better appearance than a scalded
goose and the feathers are more valuable. The skin of a dry picked bird
is not so likely to be rubbed off in removing the down.
_The Value of the Feathers_ is sufficient to pay for the cost of the
picking or perhaps a little more. The cost of picking in the fall of
1920 ranged from 15 to 20 cents per goose where the picker was boarded
and 24 cents without board. A good man can pick about 40 geese in a day.
Women are not employed for this work as the geese are too big and too
strong for them to handle.
After the geese are picked, the blood is washed from the head and the
feet washed if that is necessary. They are then thrown into barrels of
cold water to cool and must be left there until the body heat is
entirely removed. The wings are tied in place by means of a string or
tape tied around the body and wings and the legs may also be crossed
over the back and tied. The geese when ready for market are either
shipped in by express or are taken in by automobile truck.
_Gain in Weight._ In fattening according to the methods described above
a gain in weight is secured of from 6 to 8 pounds per goose. This does
not represent the total gain in value, however, for the fattened geese
will bring more per pound as a result of their finished condition. The
fattened geese when ready for market will weigh from 12 to 20 pounds.
Weights taken on two carloads of fattened geese showed an average weight
of 14 pounds. On December 2, 1920, fattened geese from these farms were
bringing 42 cents per pound on the Boston market while the mongrel geese
were worth 50 cents or a little better.
The question may arise as to the size of farm necessary to carry on a
business of this sort. Using the methods employed about Boston a farm of
30 acres would be sufficient to handle 20,000 geese in a season. In
selecting a farm for such a purpose, a location should be chosen where
there are no close neighbors as the odor from the geese and yards is
offensive to most persons.
_Selling Geese Alive._ Most farmers who raise only a few geese ship them
alive, either sending them to some commission house or selling them to
someone who makes a specialty of fattening. Such geese are often in
poor condition and bring the lowest quotation. Large coops similar to
those used for turkeys should be used in shipping geese.
_Killing._ Where geese are killed on the farm for shipment to market
they are usually hung up by means of a cord about the legs. When geese
are to be dry picked the veins in the throat just beyond the skull are
first severed with a long bladed knife such as used for killing turkeys
to cause good bleeding and the point of the knife is then plunged
through the roof of the mouth to the brain performing the stick which
serves to make the feathers come out more easily as with other classes
of poultry. Since it is rather difficult to dry pick geese, they are
usually scalded or steamed and where this is done, the stick is not made
but after the veins in the throat are cut, the goose is stunned by a
blow on the back of the head with a short club. A blood can or weight is
then hooked through the lower bill which keeps the neck straightened out
and prevents the blood from being thrown about the room or on the birds.
The birds are allowed to hang until they are dead and thoroughly bled
out.
_Picking._ When geese are dry picked, the feathers are removed just as
soon as the birds are stuck for the longer the delay the harder the
feathers pull. The wings are picked to the first joint and the feathers
of the neck half-way to the head. The soft pin feathers and fine down
may be removed by shaving the skin or rubbing the body with moistened
hands will partially remove them.
Usually geese are scalded or steamed for picking. For steaming a wash
boiler three-quarters full of boiling water and with a burlap sack
tightly stretched over its top can be used. The goose is simply laid on
the sack and the steam coming through the burlap steams the feathers and
makes them easy to remove. The breast should be steamed first, then the
back and then each side. Two or three minutes will be time enough to
complete the steaming. The feathers are steamed until they pull out
easily. The goose must be kept moving to prevent the flesh from becoming
scalded and since the breast is especially tender it is usual to lay the
head under the breast to prevent the latter from scalding. After
steaming the body feathers are removed and the bird is then singed over
a flame furnished by alcohol burned in shallow tin plates, in order to
remove the down. The down may also be removed by sprinkling powdered
rosin over the goose's body which is then dipped into hot water. The hot
water melts the rosin which sticks to the down and the down and rosin
can then be rubbed off together.
Geese may also be steamed by scalding slightly in hot water and then
wrapping tightly in burlap or some other cloth. They are kept wrapped
for about five minutes which allows the steam to work thoroughly through
the feathers which can then be plucked easily.
Exactly the same methods can and often are employed in dressing geese as
are used with ducks. The reader is therefore also referred to the
material in Chapter VII.
There seems to be no great insistence on the part of most markets for
dry picked geese. Some will pay slightly more for the dry picked birds
but others make no difference.
_Packing for Shipment._ After picking, the geese are washed and then
placed in cold water to cool. Ice water is best for this purpose and is
essential in warm weather. The carcasses must be allowed to remain in
the water until they are thoroughly cooled, which will take at least one
to two hours. If any animal heat is left in the bodies, they will spoil
very quickly. Often the carcasses are dipped in hot water, before being
thrown in the cold water, to plump them. After they are thoroughly
cooled, the geese are packed in barrels for shipping. If the weather is
cool they may be packed in well ventilated barrels without ice, but if
the weather is warm, cracked ice must be used in packing, proceeding in
the same way as when packing ducks as described on page 109. It is
always risky to pack without ice.
_Saving the Feathers._ Goose feathers are valuable and should therefore
be saved when the geese are plucked. The soft body feathers and the
coarser feathers should be kept separate. The feathers should be cured
by spreading them out in a thin layer on the floor of a loft or room,
stirring them up occasionally until they are thoroughly dried out, when
they can be sacked and sold. Failure to dry the feathers thoroughly will
result in their heating and molding with the result that they will
arrive at their destination in bad shape and will be worth less money.
The soft body feathers of geese are practically all used in making beds
and pillows while the quills are sometimes utilized in making toothpicks
and cigarette holders. Prices for goose feathers in June 1921 were as
follows:
Pure White dry picked 75c per lb.
Good average white " " 65c " "
Largely gray " " 55c " "
Largely gray scalded 40c " "
Long goose quills 5c " "
These prices were for good dry feathers.
Plucking Live Geese for their Feathers
In the days of feather beds and home-made pillows the practice of
plucking live geese for their feathers was very common. Now, however,
with the demand for goose feathers less and with the opinion of some
breeders that plucking geese is both cruel and injurious, the practice
seems to be decreasing. Many goose raisers in the South and a less
number in the Middle West and North however still pluck the feathers
from the live geese prior to the time of moulting. The frequency with
which the picking is done varies greatly, some picking as often as every
six weeks during the spring, summer and early fall while others pick
twice, once in the spring and once in the fall, or once in the spring
only. Geese should never be picked during the late fall or winter when
the weather is cold or during the breeding season. Both young and old
geese are plucked and the average yearly production of feathers per
goose is about one pound. When the quills of the feathers are dry and do
not contain any blood, the feathers are ripe for picking. In plucking, a
stocking is placed over the head of the goose and the goose held on the
lap and between the legs during the process.
An assistant to hold the goose during the plucking simplifies the work
greatly. In plucking, part of the soft feathers of the breast, sides,
abdomen and back are taken but these sections should not be plucked
clean. It is especially important that enough short feathers be left to
support the wings.
After plucking, the feathers must be cured before they are shipped. This
may be done by spreading them out on a floor as described for the
feathers taken from slaughtered geese or they may be placed loosely in
burlap sacks and hung up in a garret or loft. Hanging in this way and in
the loosely woven sacks, they are subjected to a good circulation of air
and will dry out without heating. Sacks of feathers should not be piled
or packed closely together, on top of one another or even be allowed to
lie on the floor until they are thoroughly dry as otherwise they are
almost sure to heat and mold.
INDEX
A
Absence of crest in Crested White Duck, 34
African Goose, 156, 157
Age of
breeding ducks, 55, 123
breeding geese, 152
duck eggs for hatching, 72
ducklings for market, 96, 102, 136
green geese, 187
Muscovy duck, 31
Amount of feed
per pound of market duck, 95
for noodled geese, 197
Amount of land
for duck plant, 46
for goose fattening farm, 208
Arrangement of cars for shipping live geese, 202
Arrangement of duck plant, 45
Artificial water yards for ducks, 62
Aylesbury duck, 23
B
Baby ducks, selling, 78
Bantam ducks, 27, 29
Bean,
definition of, 13
black in, 22, 23, 35
Bedding
brood coop for goslings, 180
duck breeding houses, 60
duck brooder houses, 87
goose breeding houses, 168
pens for fattening geese, 195
Beef scrap, feeding, to ducks, 64
Bib in
Blue Swedish ducks, 33
Buff ducks, 36
Bill,
definition of, 13
black in, of Black East India, 29
Black East India duck, 29
Black in bean of
Aylesbury, 23
Crested White Duck, 35
Pekin, 22
Black bill in Black East India drakes, 29
Black
head, greenish, in Buff drakes, 35
head, in Fawn and White Runners, 37
in face of Muscovy, 32
plumage of Blue Swedish, 33
on head of young White Muscovy, 32
tail coverts, greenish, in Fawn and White Runners, 37
Bleeding
ducks, 105
geese, 206, 209
Blue
cast in Buff ducks, 36
Muscovy, 32
Swedish ducks, 33
wing bar in Buff ducks, 35
Body shape in breeding ducks, selecting for, 19
Braining geese, 206, 209
Breaking up
goose matings, 154
broody geese, 175
Breast-bone as index of age in ducks, 56
Breeding
drakes, securing, 58
ducks, opportunity to produce, 6
ducks, prices for, 7
season for ducks, 124
Breeds of ducks, 9
Aylesbury, 23
Blue Swedish, 33
broodiness of, 18
Buff, 35
Call, 27
Cayuga, 25
common or puddle, 9
Crested White, 34
East India, 29
egg, 11
egg production of, 15
Mallard, 10
Mandarin, 10
meat, 11
mule, 9
Muscovy, 29
ornamental, 11
Pekin, 21
popularity of, 14
Rouen, 23
Runner, 36
size of, 14
Wood, 10
Breeds of geese, 147
African, 156
Canadian, 159
Chinese, 158
common, 148
Egyptian, 160
Embden, 156
mongrel, 148
Sebastapol, 148
Toulouse, 155
Wild, 159
Brood coop for goslings, 179
Brooder
capacity on duck plants, 47
houses for ducklings, 80-90
Brooders for goslings, 180
Broodiness of
ducks, 18
geese, 152
geese, breaking up, 175
Brooding
ducklings, 80-90, 131
goslings, 178
by artificial means, 180
with geese, 179
with hens, 179
without artificial heat, 180
Brown Chinese goose, 158
Brownish color in Cayuga ducks, 26
Buff Ducks, 35
Button head in Call ducks, 28
Buying geese for fattening, 200
C
Call ducks, 27
Canadian goose--see Wild
Capacity of
car for geese, 202
farm for fattening geese, 208
incubator for duck eggs, 130
Capital,
invested, for duck plant, 53
working, for duck plant, 54
Care of
duck eggs for hatching, 73, 128
goose eggs for hatching, 172
growing goslings, 181
hen sitting on goose eggs, 174
Carrying
ducks, 39
geese, 162
Caruncles on face of Muscovy, 29
Cases, shipping, for duck eggs, 119, 137
Catching
ducks, 39
geese, 162
Cayuga duck, 25
Celery seed, feeding, to fattening ducks, 93
Changing feed for fattening geese, 205
Chestnut colored head in Buff drakes, 35
Chilling of goslings by rain, 181
Chinese goose, 158
Chocolate colored ducks from Colored Muscovy, 32
Claret in breast of Rouen drakes, deficiency of, 24
Classification of breeds of ducks, 11
Cleaning
brood coops for goslings, 179
duck
breeding houses, 60
brooder houses, 87
yards, 61, 97
goose breeding houses, 168
Cleanliness of plumage as indication of health, 19
Color of
duck eggs, 17
goose eggs, 152
Colored flights in
Fawn and White Runners, 37
Penciled Runners, 38
Colored Muscovy, 31
Commercial duck farming,
opportunity for, 4
distribution of, 42
Condition of
breeding geese, 169
ducks ready to kill, 96
geese for fattening, 200
geese ready to kill, 206
Conditioning exhibition ducks, 38
Conditions for duck raising on the farm, 120
Confining goslings to yards, 181
Considerations, general, in making
duck matings, 18-21
goose matings, 154
Consistency of feed for
ducks, 65, 126, 133
fattening geese, 205
Construction of brooder houses for ducks, 82
Cooking geese to overcome greasiness, 194
Cooling duck
carcasses, 108
eggs during incubation, 75, 131
Cooling goose
carcasses, 207, 211
eggs during incubation, 175
Coop, growing, for goslings, 182
Cooperative
feed buying, 101
marketing, 110
Copper colored head of Buff drakes, 36
Cost of picking
ducks, 107
geese, 207
Creaminess in plumage of
Aylesbury, 23
Pekin, 23
Crest,
tendency toward, in the Pekin, 22
of Muscovy, 29
of Crested White, 34
Crested White duck, 34
Crippled ducks, 97, 104
Critical period with young ducks, 98
Crooked back
in ducks, 19
in Runner ducks, 37
Crooked crest in Crested White, 34
Crooked tail in ducks, 19
Crossed feathers on neck of Pekin drake, 22
Crossing African and Brown Chinese geese, 157
Curing
duck feathers, 117
goose feathers, 211, 213
D
Darkening pens
for fattening geese, 195
for noodling geese, 196
Dewlap in
Toulouse geese, 155
African geese, 157
Diarrhoea
of ducklings, 99
of goslings, 185
Diseases
of ducklings, 98-100
of goslings, 185
of mature ducks, 69
prevention of, 98
Dished bill in Rouen, 24
Distinguishing
sex
in ducks, 13, 135
in geese, 165
young from old ducks, 55
Distribution of duck raising, 3
Dogs a source of loss in ducks, 69
Double crest in Crested White ducks, 34
Down, removing,
from market ducks, 108
from market geese, 207, 210
Drake,
definition of, 12
adult, meaning of, 13
young, meaning of, 13
Drakerel, definition of, 13
Drinking dishes
for ducklings, 86
for goslings, 183
Driving geese from railway to farm, 202
Drowning ducks, 31, 128, 135
Dry, keeping goslings, 181
Dry land duck farms, 44
Dry picking
ducks, 107
geese, 206
Duck,
definition of, 12
adult, meaning of, 13
young, meaning of, 13
Duck raising
as a side line, 120
distribution of, 3
for egg production, 5
for ornamental purposes, 7
kinds of, 4
on the general farm, 5
opportunities for, 4, 120
Ducklet, definition of, 13
Duckling, meaning of, 12
Ducks,
number of,
in leading states, 3
in U. S., 3
value of, in U. S., 3
Dun colored ducks from Colored Muscovy, 32
E
Egg class of ducks, 11
Egg production,
duck raising for, 5
of breeds of ducks, 15
of breeds of geese, 150
of Pekins on commercial plants, 66
selection of breeders for, 21
Eggs, duck,
color of, 17
for hatching,
age of, 72
care of, 73, 128
frequency of setting, 72
packing and shipping, 40
prices of, 7
selection of, 73
washing, 130
marketing, 118
size of, 16
Eggs, goose,
care of, for hatching, 172
color of, 152
size of, 151
washing for hatching, 172
Egyptian goose, 160
Electric lights
for breeding ducks, 67
for duck plants, 51
for ducklings, 94
for fattening geese, 205
Embden goose, 156
Equipment of pens in duck brooders, 86
Examining
geese to determine sex, 165
fattened geese for market condition, 206
Extent of
duck industry, 3
goose industry, 141
Eye as indication of health in ducks, 19
F
Faded gray in Brown Chinese geese, 158
Fading of color in
Buff ducks, 35
Cayuga ducks, 27
Gray Call ducks, 28
Rouen ducks, 25
Fasting geese before fattening, 203
Fattening farms for geese, 199
Fattening geese,
by noodling, 196
methods of, 194
on farms in the east, 200
on farms in the middle west, 199
on large fattening farms, 199-208
pen, 195
Fattening houses or sheds for ducklings, 48
Fattening summer geese, 202
Fawn and White Runner, 37
Fawn colored breasts in Rouen females, 25
Fawn on neck, too much, in Fawn and White Runner, 37
Feather eating in ducklings, 100
Feathered legs in ducks, 19
Feathers,
saving duck, 117
saving geese, 207, 211
plucking from live geese, 212
Feed, cooperative buying of, 101
Feed cooker
for ducks, 49
cutter for ducks, 49
last, for market ducklings, 103
mixer for ducks, 49
storage for duck plant, 49
troughs or trays for ducks, 66
troughs for fattening geese, 205
wagon
for ducks, 65
for geese, 205
Feeding
breeding ducks, 63
breeding geese, 169
Call ducks, 27
ducklings, 92, 132
fattening geese, 195, 196, 203
geese during shipment, 202
goslings, 183
growing and fattening ducklings, 92-94, 132
noodles to geese, 198
show ducks, 39
show geese, 161
supply geese on fattening farms, 202
track on duck plants, 51, 65
Fences
for ducks, 52, 128
for fattening geese, 203
for geese, 168
Fertility of duck eggs, 20, 77
Fireless brooding goslings, 180
First feed
for ducklings, 92
for goslings, 183
Fish, feeding, to ducks, 63, 92, 134
Fits in ducklings, 99
Flat breast in Aylesburys, 23
Flatiron shape in Call ducks, 28
Folded feathers on neck of Pekin drake, 22
Foreign color in back of White Runner ducks, 37
Free range
for ducks, 120
for geese, 168
for goslings, 182
Freezing of ducks to the ground, 62, 128
Frequency
of plucking live geese for feathers, 212
of setting duck eggs, 72
Frightening breeding ducks, 67
ducklings, 94
fattening geese, 205
G
Gains in weight
made by ducklings, 94
secured in noodling geese, 198
secured in pen fattening geese, 195
secured on goose fattening farms, 208
Gander, definition of, 149
Gapes in ducklings, 99
Geese as weed destroyers, 145
Goose eggs for hatching,
care of, 172
washing, 172
Goose fattening farms, 199
Goose raising,
as a business for farm women, 144
as a side line, 141
distribution of, 141
on general farms, 142
opportunities for, 142
Goose septicemia, 186
Gosling, definition of, 149
Grading growing ducklings, 87
Grass yards for goslings, 182
Gray Call duck, 28
Gray,
faded, in Brown Chinese geese, 158
in plumage of Blue Swedish ducks, 33
stippling on Penciled Runner drakes, 38
Greasing heads of goslings for lice, 178
Green bill
in Aylesbury, 23
in Buff ducks, 36
in Crested White ducks, 35
in Pekin, 22
in White Runner, 37
Green ducks, 102
Green feed
for breeding ducks, 64
for breeding geese, 169
for ducklings, 92, 133
for fattening geese, 204
for goslings, 183
Green geese, 149, 187
Grit
for breeding geese, 170
for fattening geese, 204
for goslings, 183
Growing green feed for ducks, 64
Growth of goslings, rapidity of, 184
Gypsy face in Muscovy ducks, 32
H
Handling
ducks, 39
geese, 162
geese during noodling, 197
Hatches of duck eggs, 78
Hatching duck eggs
with an incubator, 70, 130
with hens, 129
Hatching eggs, duck, packing and shipping, 40
Hatching goose eggs
with chicken hens, 173
with geese, 174
with incubators, 175
Health,
selection of breeding ducks for, 19
indications of, in ducks, 19
Heating apparatus for duck brooder house, 83
Heavy bottoms in Runner ducks, 37
Hemorrhagic septicemia of geese, 186
Horse power required on a duck plant, 50
House capacity
for breeding ducks, 46
for fattening ducks, 48
Houses
for breeding ducks, 59
for breeding geese, 167
Hump back in ducks, 19
I
Identification of ducks by toe punching, 12
Incubation, period of,
for ducks, 47, 129
for geese, 173
Incubator capacity on duck plants, 47, 71
Incubator cellar, 70
Incubators, kinds of, for duck eggs, 70
Injury
to ducks, 57, 62
to goslings, 182
Insect pests of ducks, 69
K
Keel, deep,
in Aylesbury, 23
in Call, 28
in Pekin, 22
in Rouen, 24
Killing
ducks, 105
geese, 206, 209
house for duck plants, 50
Knob on head
of African geese, 157
of Chinese geese, 158
of Muscovy drake, 29
L
Labor required
on duck plants, 52
in noodling geese, 198
Lameness
of ducklings, 99
of goslings, 185
Land required for duck plants, 46
Laying ration
for ducks, 126
for geese, 169
Laying season
for ducks, 66, 124
for geese, 167
Lay-out of duck plant, 45
Length of time
in brooder house for ducklings, 88
brooding necessary for goslings, 180
Lights
for breeding ducks, 67
for ducklings, 94
for fattening geese, 205
Live ducks, shipping to market, 116
Live geese,
shipping to market, 208
plucking for feathers, 212
Location
of duck plant, 42
of goose fattening farm, 208
Lopped crest in White Crested ducks, 35
Loss
in ducklings, 98
in geese during shipment, 202
Lost, goslings becoming, 182
Lots, fattening, for geese, 203
M
Making a start in duck raising, 121
Making new goose matings, 154
Mallard duck, 10
summer plumage of males, 25
Mandarin duck, 10
Marketing
duck eggs, 118, 136
ducks, 102, 135
Markets for geese, 187
Marking
ducklings, 12
goslings, 153
Mating
ducks, general considerations in, 18
geese, general considerations in, 154
Meat class of ducks, 11
Mixing feed
for ducks, 65
for fattening geese, 204
Moisture
for duck eggs during incubation, 76, 131
for goose eggs during incubation, 176
Molt of ducklings as indication of market condition, 102
Mongrel goose, 148, 201
Mortality
of breeding ducks, 69
of geese during shipment, 202
Mosquito larvae, destruction of, by ducks, 8
Mule ducks, 9
Muscovy duck, 29
N
Narrow shoulders
in Call ducks, 28
in Pekin ducks, 22
Nest, preparing the, for hatching goose eggs, 173
Nomenclature
of ducks, 12
of geese, 149
Noodles, making, for fattening geese, 197
Noodling geese, 196
Number
of breeding ducks required, 46
of ducklings marketed per breeding duck, 46
of ducklings to a pen, 85, 90
of ducks in leading states, 3
of ducks in U. S., 3
of ducks to a drake, 57
of geese carried on fattening farms, 208
of geese in leading states, 141
of geese in U. S., 141
of geese noodled by one man, 198
of geese to the acre, 164
of times
ducklings are fed, 92
geese are fed on fattening farms, 203
noodled geese are fed, 197
pen fattened geese are fed, 195
O
Objections
to duck farms, 43
to geese, 145
to goose fattening farms, 208
Odor from goose fattening farms, 208
Opportunities
for duck raising, 4
for goose raising, 142
Ornamental
purposes, ducks for, 7
class of ducks, 11
Output of duck plants, 42, 45
Oyster shell, feeding,
to breeding ducks, 66
to breeding geese, 170
P
Packing dressed
ducks for shipment, 109
geese for shipment, 211
Packing
duck hatching eggs, 40
goose hatching eggs, 162
Pasturing
geese, 164
goslings, 183
Patte de fois gras, 199
Pay for picking
ducks, 107
geese, 207
Pekin duck, 21
Pekin duck on commercial plants, 42
Penciled Runner duck, 37
Penciling in
Buff ducks, 35
Fawn and White Runner females, 37
Rouen females, 25
Penciling, lack of, in Penciled Runner females, 38
Pen fattening geese, 195
Pens
for fattening geese, 203
for noodling geese, 196
in brooder house for ducklings 84, 89
Percent
hatch of duck eggs set, 78
loss
in ducklings, 98
in goslings, 184
Period of incubation
for duck eggs, 129
for goose eggs, 173
for Muscovy duck, 30
Period of feeding
noodled geese, 198
pen fattening geese, 195
Picking house for duck plants, 50
Picking
market ducks, 106
market geese, 206
Pin feathers, removing, from ducks, 107
Pinioning
ducks, 28
wild geese, 159
Pneumonia in ducklings, 99
Popularity of breeds
of ducks, 14
of geese, 150
Pounds feed to produce pound of market duck, 95
Prejudice against roast goose, 194
Preparing
ducks for the show, 38
geese for the show, 161
Prevention of disease in ducklings, 98
Prices
of duck breeding stock and eggs, 7
of duck feathers, 118
of goose breeding stock and eggs, 163
of goose feathers, 212
of market ducks, 110
of market geese, 188
of mongrel geese, 208
of specially fattened geese, 208
Prince Edward Island geese, 201
Production, yearly, of feathers from live geese, 213
Profits from duck farming, 54
Protecting feed of geese from other stock, 171
Puddle ducks, 9
Pulling broken feathers
in ducks, 38
in geese, 161
Purple barring in Black East India ducks, 29
Purple rump in Rouen drake, 24
Q
Quilling in ducklings, 100
R
Range
for fattening geese, 199
for geese, 164
Rapidity of growth of goslings, 184
Rations
for breeding ducks, 63, 125
for breeding geese, 169
for ducklings, 92, 132
for fattening geese, 195, 197, 203
for goslings, 183
Rats as source of loss in ducklings, 101
Red in plumage of Blue Swedish, 33
Removing
baby ducks to the brooder, 80
newly hatched goslings from the nest, 176
Reviving goslings chilled by rain, 181
Rhode Island geese, 200
Ribbon or wing bar, absence of, in Gray Call, 28
Ring, white,
in Buff ducks, 36
in Rouen, 24
width of, in Rouen, 24
Roach back in ducks, 19
Rouen duck, 23
Roughage
for fattening geese, 195, 199, 204
in rations for geese, 170
Round head in Runner ducks, 37
Runner duck, 36
S
Sand, feeding,
to breeding ducks, 66
to ducklings, 86, 93
to goslings, 183
Scalding market
ducks, 105
geese, 209
Sebastapol goose, 148
Selection of breeding ducks, 19
on commercial plants, 56
on general farms, 134
Selection of breeding geese, 154
Selection of duck eggs for hatching, 73
Selecting the breed of ducks, 122
Separating growing goslings from old stock, 182
Septicemia, goose or hemorrhagic, 186
Sex
in ducks, distinguishing, 13, 135
in geese, distinguishing, 165
Shade
for breeding ducks, 60
for fattening summer geese, 202
for goslings, 182
for growing ducklings, 92
Sharp backs in Runner ducks, 37
Shaving market geese to remove down, 209
Shelter
for fattening geese, 199, 203
for growing goslings, 181
Shipping
dressed ducks, 109
dressed geese, 208
hatching eggs,
duck, 40
geese, 162
Shipping live geese for fattening, 201
Short legs in Runner ducks, 37
Shrinking in shipping ducks alive, 116
Size
of breeding ducks, 19
of breeds of ducks, 14
of breeds of geese, 150
of duck eggs, 16
of duck farms, 42, 44, 46
of flocks of breeding ducks, 46
of flocks of ducks on general farms, 121
of flocks of fattening geese, 195, 196, 199, 202
of goose eggs, 151
of male and female Muscovy, 30
of mating in ducks, 20, 123
of mating in geese, 152
of sitting of duck eggs, 7, 129
of sitting of goose eggs, 163, 174
Slate on backs
of young Embden geese, 156
of young White Chinese geese, 159
Smooth head in Muscovy duck, 29
Sore eyes in ducklings, 100
Sorting
growing ducklings, 87
market ducklings, 104
Split crest in Crested White ducks, 34
Steaming
ducks for picking, 107
geese for picking, 210
Sticking or braining geese, 206, 209
Stippling, gray, on Penciled Runner ducks, 38
Stunning geese, 206, 209
Summer geese, fattening, 202
Summer plumage of Rouen drakes, 25
Swimming, preventing goslings from, 181
Temperatures, incubation,
for duck eggs, 74
for goose eggs, 175
Temperatures, brooder,
for ducklings, 81
for goslings, 180
Testing
duck eggs, 74, 130
table for candling duck eggs, 75
Time of feeding
breeding ducks, 63, 126
geese on fattening farms, 203
noodled geese, 196
pen fattened geese, 195
Time of first feed
for ducklings, 92
for goslings, 183
Time of laying
with ducks, 67
with geese, 167
Time
of marketing breeding ducks, 68
of plucking live geese for feathers, 212
to purchase breeding ducks, 121
breeding geese, 166
Toulouse goose, defects in, 155
Tray, feed, for ducks, 66
Triple crest in Crested White ducks, 34
Trough, feed, for ducks, 66
Turning
duck eggs during incubation, 75
goose eggs during incubation, 174, 175
Twisted wings in ducks, 19
U
Uses
for duck feathers, 118
for goose feathers, 212
V
Value
of duck feathers, 117
of ducks in the U. S., 8
of goose feathers, 207
Vegetables, feeding, to ducks, 63
Ventilation
for goslings, 179
of brooder houses, 88
of incubator cellars, 71
of incubators when hatching, 77
Vigor, selection of breeding ducks for, 19
W
Washing
duck eggs for hatching, 130
goose eggs for hatching, 172
show ducks, 39
show geese, 162
Water
for breeding ducks, 61, 127
for breeding geese, 165
for ducklings, 96, 135
for fattening geese, 195, 198, 204
for geese during shipment, 202
for goslings, 183
Water site for duck plants, 42
Water supply for duck plants, 52
Water yards
for breeding ducks, 61
for growing and fattening ducklings, 96, 135
Weed destruction by geese, 96, 103
Weight
of ducklings when ready for market, 96, 103
of geese from fattening farms, 208
of goslings when ready for market, 185
of green geese, 184, 187
of noodled geese, 198
Weights
of Black East India ducks, 14
of Call ducks, 14
of duck eggs, 14
of goose eggs, 151
of Mallard ducks, 10
of standard breeds of ducks, 14
of standard breeds of geese, 150
White around eyes
of Blue Swedish, 34
of Cayuga, 26
White bib
in Blue Swedish, 33
in Buff ducks, 36
White Call duck, description of, 28
White Chinese goose, 159
White in breast
of Black East India, 29
of Cayuga, 26
White in fluff of Rouen drake, 24
White in wings
of African geese, 157
of Blue Swedish ducks, 33
of Brown Chinese geese, 159
of Buff ducks, 35
of Gray Call ducks, 28
of Rouen ducks, 24
of Toulouse geese, 156
White Muscovy duck,
description of, 32
black on head of young, 32
White on head of Colored Muscovy, 32
White on neck of Cayuga, 26
White Runner duck, 37
Wild or Canadian goose, 159
Windpipe as indication of age in ducks, 56
Wing bar, absence of, in Gray Call females, 28
Wood duck, 10
Y
Yards
for breeding ducks, 58, 128
for breeding geese, 168
for fattening ducklings, 91
for fattening geese, 203
for goslings, 181
Yellow bills
in Blue Swedish, 34
in Rouen females, 25
Yellow, loss of, legs and bills of Pekin with laying, 56
Yellow on knob
of African geese, 157
of Brown Chinese geese, 158
of White Chinese geese, 159
Yield of feathers from live geese, 213
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes
Apart from minor changes to formatting, table alignment and punctuation,
the only changes made to the text from the original are as follows:
Preface (2nd page): "minumum" changed to "minimum" (... with the minimum
of initial investment and of labor.)
"Sebastapool" changed to "Sebastapol" in List of Illustrations (Egyptian
Gander and Sebastapol Goose) Figure 50 caption, and twice in the index.
This is consistent with the use of "Sebastapol" in the text.
Page 20: "neccessary" changed to "necessary" (... it becomes neccessary
to mate a smaller number of females ...).
Page 30: missing page reference added (See Page 14).
Page 72: comma deleted after "Of" (Of course, eggs sufficient to fill
the entire incubator capacity ...).
Fig 28 caption: "yords" changed to "yards" (Long brooder house and yards
with feeding track.)
Page 107: duplicate word "the" deleted (... hung in a steam box with the
heads outside ...)
Page 131: "chickens" changed to "chicken" (Ducklings can be brooded if
desired by means of chicken hens.)
Page 136: missing page reference added (... in accordance with the
directions given on page 106).
Page 137: missing page reference added (See page 119).
Page 141: "1920" changed to "1910" (The census figures of 1920 compared
with those for 1910 ...)
Page 145: "in" changed to "is" (An objection to geese often expressed
but without good foundation is that they will spoil the pasture for
other stock.)
Page 154: "Ameriacn" changed to "American" (... the American Standard of
Perfection.)
Page 155 Footnote: "standard" changed to initial upper case "Standard"
(American Standard of Perfection).
Page 163: missing page reference added (The same method of packing the
eggs should be employed as with duck eggs described on page 137.)
Page 165: "thoughout" changed to "throughout" (... green feed available
throughout the summer and fall ...)
Page 166: "penus" changed to "penis" (... the penis will protrude.)
Page 182: "close" changed to "closed" (It should have a board floor and
be capable of being closed ...)
Page 194: "pleasanty" changed to "pleasantly" ( ...one will be
pleasantly surprised at the rich taste which the roast goose possesses.)
Page 211: missing page reference added ( ... in the same way as when
packing ducks as described on page 109.)
Page 222 (Index): "stipling" changed to "stippling" (Gray stippling on
Penciled Runner drakes).